The Stream: While very entertaining, this movie could have been 15-20 minutes shorter.

The Big Screen: A wild ride with a fun ensemble.

The Final Bill: A propulsive plot is boosted by clever writing and a strong ensemble.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Sean Baker
Writers: Sean Baker
Stars: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Vache Tovmasyan, Karren Karagulian
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rating: R for strong sexual content throughout, graphic nudity, pervasive language, and drug use.
Runtime: 2 hour 15 minutes
Production Companies: Cre Film, FilmNation Entertainment, Neon
Platform: In theaters October 18, 2024 (limited)
Notable Trailers: Wolfman, Kraven the Hunter, Mickey 17, The Monkey, Presence

Hey, Streamers! Here’s one you might be hearing a lot about in the next couple of months. It won the top prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, but it’s not as stuffy as that sounds. Anora, written and directed by Sean Baker, is an interesting mix of comedy and drama with some surprising emotional turns. When Ani (Mikey Madison), a young stripper and sometimes escort, gets introduced to the playboy son, Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), of a Russian businessman, she gets swept away by the lavish lifestyle of the simple young man. After a spontaneous trip to Vegas takes Ani and Vanya’s relationship to the next level, things get a lot more complicated when Vanya’s family gets involved and as Ani tries to hold on to the life she wants to live. Up-all-night, drugs and sex-fueled hijinks ensue.

Anora is a movie that will sweep you away in more ways than one. Like Uncut Gems, Anora has the energy of a movie where everything takes place in one night and like anything can happen. Now, the plot of Anora is pretty basic and its trajectory inevitable, but it’s still a wild ride that at least feels unpredictable. It has strong forward momentum that will keep the audience engaged throughout. On a brief side note, this movie is over 2 hours long, but it definitely can tell the same story with as much fun and impact if it were 20 minutes shorter. That doesn’t mean it is boring or has any real lull, but one sequence is either repetitive or drawn out for no explicit reason.

Additionally, the ensemble of Anora is very strong. Mikey Madison plays Ani with a lot of passion. She’s a feisty one. She’s very compelling and has a wry quality to her. It’s a very good performance that is unforgettable. The guys that surround Ani each are fun characters including the sweet but weaselly Vanya, the quiet Igor (Yura Borisov) and the firecracker/comedic secret weapon Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan). The dialogue among them crackles with memorable moments. The plot and characters come together to make an entertaining comedy with the perfect touches of poignancy.

Ultimately, Anora is an entertaining and propulsive movie. It has fun and interesting characters that make up a strong ensemble. The story is pretty basic for a movie that’s more than 2 hours long, but it’s not ever boring. You’ll enjoy this one if you see it in a movie theater. It’s worth a big box of popcorn.